You could say Ryan Johansen‘s rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets was a bit of a struggle. He played in 67 games and found himself playing third or fourth line minutes when he wasn’t a healthy scratch.

“This is way better than I expected,” Johansen said. “There’s so much positive down here.

“I feel like this is going to help my game up in Columbus a lot. I’ve learned so much from (Springfield coach Brad Larsen). He’s one of those coaches who really keeps the guys accountable, really makes sure you’re doing everything right. He’s really focused on the details, and I think I needed that.”

Winning and playing good hockey are things he didn’t quite get to experience last year with the Blue Jackets.